Cerise
by dunnoifGraluorNalu
Summary: Getting caught in the midst of a love triangle that had nothing yet everything to do with her, wasn't exactly Erza's idea of a 'new life'. It's like a spider's web—the harder she tries, the more she's entangled; ensnared in the mess that she has no part in. Until she winds up so tangled that there's no turning back. 【Erza x Mystogan】[ON PERMANENT HIATUS]
1. Scarlet

_[Chapter One, Scarlet]_

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**Current summery: Erza, who has cheated on Jellal with Natsu, comes to Edolas in guilt. Her heart is broken after finding that Natsu doesn't really love her at all. With her life ruined, she sets out to start a new one, in a new world.**

**HI PEOPLE!**

**To those who have never read my other fic 'It's a Date', don't worry. There is not much need for you to go dig out my old fic. (Of course, you can if you want to. I encourage it, I guess) All you need to do is to read the above summery. Yeah, you get the gist. I won't make many references to my old fic, so no worries. I'll make sure that everyone new understands as well.**

**To those who have read the prequel, so, I finally start on my sequel...I hope this fic will be of better quality than 'It's a Date'. Please give a this a shot, regardless of whether you found 'It's a Date' crappy or idiotic, yeah? **

**Also, so that everyone won't be confused, let me make this clear.**

**Erza Scarlet will be referred to as 'Erza' in this fic. Erza Knightwalker, on the other hand, will be 'Knightwalker'. And the other Edolas counterparts for Fairy Tail will also be called by their surnames, so prevent confusion with their Earthland counterparts. Only Edo-Jellal will be referred to as Mystogan, because that's the name Erza knew him by in Earthland. So in conclusion, **

**(Character names: ****_Names they will be referred to in Cerise)_**

**Erza Scarlet: ****_Erza_**

**Erza Knightwalker: ****_Knightwalker_**

**Lucy Heartfilia: ****_Lucy_**

**Lucy Ashley: ****_Ashley_**

**Natsu Dragneel: ****_Natsu_**

**Natsu Dragion: ****_Dragion_**

**Jellal (Earthland): ****_Jellal_**

**Jellal (Edolas) : ****_Mystogan_**

**And so on... (Basically, Edolas counterparts will be referred to by their surnames, and Earthland ones will be by their given names, with the exception of Edo-Jellal, who will be Mystogan)**

**Hope this clears everything up.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Definition of 'Scarlet' found in dictionary dot com.**

**I'm sorry for the shit-ass long foreword, so let's start...**

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_~[Scarlet: a bright-red color inclining toward orange.]~_

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People, Erza decided, could never be trusted.

She had trusted Natsu, and _look_ where it got her.

It was naïvety, surely, because looking back, she wondered why she had believed all Natsu's words.

The whispered promises, the secret smiles, they'd all amounted to nothing.

She had cheated, lied and bled for a heartless man, who didn't love her—and would never love her; who's heart belonged to someone else.

She had been so desperate, so helpless.

His insincerity for her happiness. What a pathetic deal.

Jellal had trusted her, but she'd turned her back on him anyway.

_Love is overrated._

* * *

For the past few weeks, she had gotten herself well acquainted with everyone, even the Fairy Tail counterparts of her former teammates.

Turns out they were dealing quite well without magic.

In fact, she found out that Natsu Dragion was currently working in the royal stables, and the rest of them were busy assisting in the 'Exceeds Relocating Programme' that had been implemented by Mystogan after Extalia fell.

Knightwalker didn't take to her lack of jobs well, and promptly dragged her to fill in for the long-absent Pantherlily, stating that Edolas needed another general anyway.

Erza didn't enjoy being a general much. She enjoyed the title, enjoyed the status, the responsibility, but the thing she could not adjust to was the time-dragging 'General's Meeting' Sugarboy held every other day.

* * *

"Hughes."

"Present..." the bluenette drawled, propping his cheeks with his hand.

"Knightwalker."

"She's absent." Hughes chipped in helpfully. "Gone to supervise the exceed village building."

"Oh. Scarlet?"

"Here..."

"Sugarboy...that's me. Okay." Sugarboy shuffled his papers regally, surveying the two figures before him. "Let the thirty-second meeting commence..."

Erza stifled a yawn as Sigarboy proceeded to crunch some numbers about the 'steady increase of royal soldiers leaving the army', and continuing with a highly complicated percentage...ratio...fraction...thingy.

She wasn't being a very good stand-in for Pantherlily...

* * *

Hughes, having been used to this kind of dragging boredom, was snoozing happily under the table without the other blonde's notice.

Not that it was hard to, as the pink-suited male was to busy reading his presentation to see that most of the room's occupants had dozed off.

Erza almost joined Hughes in blissful slumber, but she decided that she would be feeling a little guilty to be sleeping during such a crucial meeting. (But then again, not really.)

Just when Sugarboy was getting to the important (and annoying) bits, the door flew open.

The last person Erza ever wanted to see in Edolas was standing behind them, panting.

"_K..KYA_! I'm sorry to interrupt! I...I'm sorry! I n...need to see Scarlet-san!" Dragion squeaked, looking as if he was about he melt from fright.

Erza scowled slightly, before feeling a tug of guilt. It wasn't Dragion's fault for having such an uncanny resemblance to the man she hated.

"Go ahead." Sugarboy frowned, setting down his file, "and make it snappy. We're busy."

"I...um...I need to speak to her..._alone_." Dragion stammered.

Erza felt a flutter of anxiety run through her. 'Speaking alone' didn't exactly sound very favourable.

"Please?"

Sighing quietly, she stood up. "I'll be right back."

This wasn't going to be good...

* * *

There was a reason why she had been deliberately avoiding Dragion like the plague.

She had tried to forget her past, but Dragion was just an unwanted reminder of his counterpart; of the man that had broken her heart.

She had not taken the time to visit the stables or to socialise with him—she didn't want to. She wanted to remain a stranger to him, but apparently that wasn't to be, judging from the fact that he was the one who had waltzed into the meeting room to personally ask for her.

She didn't really what to hear what he had to say. She just wanted him to say what he wanted, and be gone with it. It was harsh to him, she knew, but she was afraid of hurting herself.

* * *

"You can start talking now." she remarked once they were in the safety of the hallway.

Dragion flushed slightly, before mumbling, "I...I have no idea how to say this. It's okay if you reject me, but I really, _really_..."

"No." she didn't need to hear his words to know what was coming. The last thing she needed was a confession from the male lookalike of Natsu Dragneel.

Even though Dragion hadn't been part of her unwanted past, she was wary of him. She didn't like it that he reminded her of..._him_.

"I know you're a great guy, but I want us to stay friends. Strictly just friends."

His hands, which had unconscious flew up to shield his head, dropped to his sides.

"W...what?"

"I mean what I said."

"No..." he waved his hands wildly, "you've got it all wrong! I...I like you, but not that way!"

_What?_

There was a deep blush on his face. "I was gonna ask if you could do me favour."

Oh. _Oh._

She turned slightly pink. "Ah. I'm sorry for misunderstanding."

"So would you? Help me, I mean." Dragion mumbled. "I'm really sorry for interrupting your meeting. And for making you misunderstand. Sorry!"

"Sure." Erza agreed, before adding, "and it's fine. Sugarboy was getting on my nerves anyway. So...what do you need?"

It was easier knowing that he wasn't going to be making any moves on her. She had enough heartbreak to last a lifetime.

"T...there's someone I like."

Love problems? The last time she checked, she was a Mage, not a love therapist. She opened her mouth to argue when she saw the earnest look on Dragion's face. So she shut up, and listened.

"She's really fierce, and sort of scary, and she hardly pays much attention to me. But I really really like her!"

Fierce and scary? It sounded like a certain blonde counterpart she knew.

"She used to have long hair, and I liked it, but after she cut it, I think she looks nicer..." Dragion continued shyly.

Definitely Ashley. Didn't Lucy mention that her counterpart had cut her hair?

The last time she checked, Ashley definitely had feelings for the pink-head. It was going to be a piece of cake.

"Alright then, first, lose the sucky attitude. If you're going to want people to start liking you more, you have to get a backbone, you hear?" Erza told him sternly.

Dragion nodded vigorously.

"And next, wear something nice. Something noticeable as well."

"Okay..."

"And then, you can confess to her. I'm sure she likes you as well." Erza smiled encouragingly.

"Really? Knightwalker likes me as well?" Dragion gasped, hope blossoming in his eyes.

Erza froze.

"I'm sorry. I must have misheard. _Knightwalker_?"

Dragion grinned sheepishly. "Yeah...

There was an uncomfortable smile plastered on her face.

It's not Ashley he likes. It's Knightwalker.

He was asking her because she would know her counterpart best.

But it's fine anyway, she told herself indignantly, she could just work something out. There wasn't much of a difference..._except_...

...except that she just doesn't know why it hurts.

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**I'm sorry for jumping straight into the plot. But I really couldn't think of any other way to start it. I'm sorry. **

**I have a strong feeling that this fic will be better than 'It's a Date'. I've put a lot of effort thinking up the plot after all. Lol. And sorry for the shitty-short chapter. I tried, people. It just seemed appropriate to cut it there. Otherwise this would longer.**

**Please review!**


	2. Crimson

_[Chapter Two, Crimson]_

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**Ahhaha. Sorry for the late update! Anyway, thanks to those wonderful people who have favourited, followed and reviews so far! I'm so glad—I really am. I love you guys!  
**

**Read, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, okay? Hands up, I swear!**

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_~[Crimson: a rich, deep red colour inclining toward purple]~_

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"S...so, Knightwalker-san likes sunflowers?" Dragion stammered.

"I think so. I mean, I hate them, and since we're counterparts, it should be natural that she likes them, right?" Erza pondered slightly.

"O...okay then. So all I need to do is to stand out more? I w-was thinking of surprising her, but!" the pink-head trembled slightly.

"Let's hear what you've got." Erza grinned, folding her arms on her chest.

There was nothing she loved more than a well-planned (battle) plan.

"I w-was...was thinking of leaving a cake on her dining table. During breakfast tomorrow. Maybe...she'll notice me more!" Dragion quaked slightly, as if the idea of it was too much to bear.

"Well, why not? Lemon soufflé right?"

Dragion nodded shyly, a sheepish grin on his face, as if saying 'I'm sorry? I didn't mean to spy on her...'

Erza laughed. "Alright then. You've got some preparing to do, and I've got a meeting to attend. I'll be going now."

"O-okay!" Dragion squeaked, jumping to attention. "M...many thanks for your kind help!"

He broke into a large smile, scratching the back of his neck nervously, and for a moment, he looked just like Natsu did; bold, daring, carefree and reckless.

Her heart stopped—_unbelievable_, because after so long, even now, she still loved him.

What was this change she wanted? What was this 'new life'? Why was the point of coming, if...if she still remained the same? The same manipulated girl who was head-over-heels in love with someone she shouldn't have fallen for.

The memories flashed past; bits and piece that stung her heart and burnt her mind...

_"Bring it on!"_

_"I'm all fired up!"_

_"Erza belongs to Fairy Tail, I won't hand her over to you!"_

_"Love you, Erza."_

_"I won't leave you, okay?"_

_"You'll manage."_

She hadn't noticed that she was crying until Dragion reached out, a worried expression on his face, and wiped the tears from her cheek.

"A...are you alright, Scarlet-san?" he said anxiously.

She jerked away, breathing hard.

"_Don't_ touch me!"

His hand retracted hastily.

"Ah...I'm fine. I'm fine." Erza repeated, sounding as if she was convincing herself instead. "I'm fine. I just...I'm _sorry_."

"Ah. Okay." he mumbled nervously. "I'll be going now. M...many thanks for your help!"

"You're welcome." she breathed, hands over her ears as she crouched onto the ground.

He looked like he wanted to stay; to ask what was wrong; _to comfort her_, but a second later, he turned and sprinted down the hallway.

_That's good_, her mind echoed, _leave me alone. _

She didn't know how long she was crouched there for. An hour? _Two?_

There was shuffling from down the hallway, and she finally picked herself up, remembering suddenly that she had a meeting to attend.

Said meeting was already over when she reached the room. Sugarboy was cuffing Hughes by the head, yelling loudly about sleeping idiots and Hughes' lack of attention.

"Ah, Scarlet." Sugarboy paused from a rather violent uppercut to look at her. "What did he want?"

"It was nothing." she started.

Hughes wolf-whistled, before being punched again by Sugarboy.

"I see. The meeting is already over though."

Erza forced on a smile, "Well then, I see no point in staying. I have some things to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

"Bye Er-chan!" Hughes grinned and ducked another jab from the pink-suited male.

* * *

A sly smile from Knightwalker was all it took to make Erza scowl during breakfast.

They gathered at the dining room, as always, and as the occupants of the castle filed in slowly, Erza took a seat and glared at her counterpart.

"The meeting went delightfully well, I'm told."

And Erza was pretty sure that despite what she claimed, Knightwalker still retained some of her cruelty.

Aiming a friendly punch to her counterpart's shoulders, Erza huffed.

"It was horrible. I'm bound to resign one day. Either that, or Sugarboy will fire me."

Knightwalker laughed, a casual, easy laugh, and the way her eyes gleamed told Erza that there was something her lookalike wasn't telling her.

"So, how did it go? The relocation. You were with Mystogan, right?" Erza helped herself to a velvet cupcake.

"_King_ Jellal." Knightwalker corrected, before turning slightly red. "It went very well, I suppose."

Erza wasn't sure if she was feeling amused or curious, so she simply remarked, "I see."

The both of them worked their way through the trays of cupcakes when a soft tap on the table made them look up.

"Um..." Coco stammered, "Someone told me to bring this to Knightwalker-san!"

Shaking slightly, she set a bouquet of sunflowers and a plate of lemon soufflé onto the table.

From the corner of her eye, Erza could see Dragion, dressed in a plain but elegant suit, puffing up slightly.

In his own way, it was like saying 'Look at me!'

She glanced into his eyes, and nodded approvingly.

"Oh. For me?" Knightwalker was saying, before Coco squeaked and scampered back to her seat at the King's table.

"Whoever gave this to you must be _awfully_ nice." Erza commenting suggestively, before jerking her neck subtly towards Dragion.

"Huh? I suppose." Knightwalker blushed, fingering the petals on the sunflower while Erza continued her little show of pointing and jerking her head towards the pink-haired male at the other side of the hall.

Her neck was beginning to feel sore when her counterpart asked worriedly, "Are you alright, Scarlet?"

Dragion looked like he was about to explode in sheer joy.

"I'm fine." she groaned. _It's Dragion! Look at him!_

"Oh, alright then. You looked like your neck had a little hitch." Knightwalker decided, and as she turned her bouquet around, she seemed to be hit with a sudden thought.

"I think..."

Before Erza had any time to react, she turned her head and looked straight at Mystogan.

_Thank you_, she mouthed.

"Knightwalker, _what are you doing_?" Erza grabbed her counterpart hurriedly.

Mystogan frowned slightly, before raising an eyebrow and replying, _You're...welcome?_

"Saying thank you to the one who's behind this." her counterpart replied nonchalantly, though a tinge of red appeared on her cheeks.

Erza choked. "W..._what__?_"

Knightwalker blushed.

"You think Mystogan, no, the King is behind this?" Erza demanded incredulously.

Her lookalike looked up at her and frowned. "Why not?"

Behind her, Dragion deflated a little, and Erza sighed.

_Oh boy...this needs a whole lot more work..._

* * *

**Poor Dragion...**

**A/N: People, Knightwalker's preferences are not canon! I made up the sunflower and lemon soufflé parts myself! So yeah! (Took some logical reasoning on my part. Because they are counterparts, so they'd be opposite in personality and preferences. For the lemon soufflé, it's because Erza likes strawberry cheesecake, and I thought it seemed natural that Knightwalker would like something slightly sour. So lemon soufflé. And the sunflowers... It's because Erza likes acting so it seemed appropriate that she should like receiving roses, and to me, the opposite of roses are sunflower. Red, the colour of passion, in contrast to yellow, a cheery and light one. Har har. I'm sorry. Is my logic stupid?) Oh yes, there was a bunch of quotes from Natsu, if you guys hadn't noticed. Most are canon, and a few are from my other fic. Yeah. A reference there...**

**Also, they are eating in a biggg hall with all the inhabitants of the palace, so that's why Mystogan, Dragion and many unmentioned others are present. Yeahh.**

**So, did you guys enjoy? Did it suck? (I know it did; Dragion's ideas sucked...) Next chapter up in a month or so. I'll see... In the meantime, I'm just gonna go hide under the bed or something...**

**Please leave a review! I'd love to know what you guys think!**


	3. Ruby

_[Chapter Three, Ruby]_

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**Hey guys **

**Sorry for my late update, and sorry for the horrible writing I've been spitting out lately. **

**So, so sorry! Anyway, a new update! I'm sorry for over a month of inactiveness (wow I have so much to be sorry for)**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the latest instalment, and please review. I'll really appreciate it if you guys did. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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_~[Ruby: an intense deep red]~_

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"Why not?" Knightwalker asked indignantly, and Erza sighed, because _oh god_, Erza Knightwalker the Fairy Hunter, Royal Army Captain of the 2nd Magic War Division, in all her battle-worthy glory is a dense, _dense_ idiot.

"Look at Coco. She's sitting beside him, and there's a chance that he might have asked her to pass this to me!"

"It might not be him." Erza tried.

"It might be!" Knightwalker argued, and folded her arms.

"But it's not. It's not the King, you've gotten this all mistaken, and really, can we just finish this cake so that we can retreat to out rooms to argue properly?!" Erza gabbled all in one breath, and Knightwalker scowled.

"Oh trust me. It's him." she paused, "Don't you trust my judgement?"

_No_, Erza thought wryly, _frankly, I don't._

* * *

Back in their room, after they had ferociously eliminated the trays of cakes on the table, Knightwalker continued their conversation with a "Then, if it's not Jellal-sama, who is it?"

Perched on a fluffy chair, Erza pretended to furrow her brows in concentration, "It could be that weird-looking guy from the shop. Or the butler. Maybe that new chef. Or it may be from one of those maids that you helped. Or..." she tried to make it sound like an afterthought, adding as subtly as she could, "Or...that really cute-looking guy who works in the stables...who's..."

_...who's had a mega crush on you for like forever._

She left the last part unsaid. Too much information.

"You mean that Dragion guy? I don't know him all that well." Knightwalker muttered offhandedly, distracted with arranging the sunflowers, "Besides, have you seen him this morning? He looks weird in that suit!"

Erza barely kept on her stiff smile. She wanted to retort angrily, 'Look here, Knighwalker. This 'weird guy' has put in his best efforts to impress you, yet you brush him aside like dirt?'

But she didn't. Instead, she replaced the gradually-slipping mask with another one.

"Anyway, you've been so quiet." her counterpart chipped in slyly, "Could it be that you...had something to do with this?"

"Huh. That's for me to know, and you to find out." she mumbled softly.

"Hey. I heard that. But nah. You hate sunflowers. It has to be Jellal-sama..." it came out as a giddy sigh, and Erza winced slightly.

As her counterpart drifted off into her wonderland, her eyes gazed and unfocused, Erza wetted her lips and cleared her throat.

_"Jeez."_

* * *

The next day found Erza Scarlet staring at her counterpart exasperatedly as, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, the latter hummed and walked around in her room, the sunflowers clasped dramatically in her fingers.

Really, what happened to the tough-as-nuts, 'I relish in watching people suffer', sadistic demon that had been her counterpart?

Erza raised an eyebrow.

She had been prepared to deal with a blushing, ferociously-denying 'tsundere', but not this...this lovesick buffoon.

She was so occupied in her thoughts that she didn't hear the next words slipping out of her lookalike's lips.

_"I think I like him."_

There was a slight pause, as Erza took a moment or two to process her words.

And another moment, to process it again just to be sure.

"Oh come on." Erza groaned. "Not this."

Knightwalker snorted. "It's not like you're not in love."

She pursed her lips. "What makes you think so?"

"You called Dragion 'cute'. You said 'Really cute-looking guy who works in the stables'. Don't think I didn't catch that!"

"There was nothing to catch!" Erza protested, heat rising to her cheeks at the sudden accusation.

"Mmm..." Knightwalker hummed, forever the stubborn, and Erza thought, _What in the name of Fiore have I gotten myself into._

* * *

Another round or two in the room, the Requip Mage didn't think she could stand it any longer.

"I'll be out in the garden, if you need me." she sighed.

"Mmmhmm." sighed her counterpart dizzily, but Erza didn't think she heard her. Knightwalker continued her parade, sunflowers abandoned and a comb stuck onto her head.

Shaking her head, Erza left the room and made her way down to the garden.

It was a fairly abandoned garden; to be honest, Erza didn't think anyone knew of its existence. The gate itself was situated behind the hedge, long rusted from disuse, and if she hadn't slipped and fell on a rainy day, tumbled down the path, into the hedge and smacked face-first against the ivy-dominated wall, she would never have known.

Since then, she had paid it frequent visits, when Sugarboy's speeches started to get rather lengthy and demanding, when Knightwalker was being particularly loud, or when she didn't feel exactly comfortable in her huge empty room.

At first glance she had deemed it forgotten, for the gates and fences were rusted, the walls mossy and disintegrating, but inside, the paths were well-worn, the flowers tended and the bushes trimmed.

She was impressed at first, then curious. Someone knew of its existence, and someone came here often as well. She tried to mask her presence at first, because she didn't want to let the other party think that she was intruding, but after some time, she stopped trying.

Her favourite spot was the swing at the corner, made with dry rope tied around a sturdy piece of wood. It was surrounded by flowers of all sorts, tiny bluebells and roses, lilac and pansies. The smell of morning dew would calm her. Surrounded by them, Erza would feel at ease. She'd swing herself softly, and it was as if those little moments would wash her sins away.

There and then, even if it was for a second, she would feel like she was home.

Like she was back in Fairy Tail, with her nakama by her side, with Jellal's arms around her, and those ugly mistakes she'd made would be undone and the mess untangled. With Lucy's forgiveness, and they would all live happily together again, just like always.

That wasn't possible now, she knew. There was no need for tears, but _even_ now...

She'd hoped...

She'd wished that...

...that they would all be together again. Natsu, Gray, Lucy and her. Master, Mira, Wendy, Jellal..._everyone_.

Such a selfish wish she had. She wondered how they were doing without her.

* * *

Immersed in her thoughts, she didn't hear the quiet footsteps thudding down the path. She didn't hear the soft intake of breath. By the time she turned around, ready to leave, Erza found herself staring right into the eyes of someone she would never expect to see there, of all places.

A light voice resounded.

"...how did you get here...?"

* * *

***evil grin* well! I think it's pretty obvious who that is XDXD**

**Please review! **

**What a way to end :P I'm sorry for the shitty short chapter; I really tried plus shitty-short-chapters are my middle name ~ **

**You guys are the best!**


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